


On Borrowed Time

by PengyChan



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-30
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-12 01:38:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4460330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PengyChan/pseuds/PengyChan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He’s approaching the edge of an abyss he can feel but not see, and dreads the moment he’ll come close enough to look into it. But closing his eyes is a luxury he cannot afford now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Borrowed Time

When dawn comes he’s still wide awake, the cylinder cradled in his arms like he remembers – so very vaguely, like a dream long forgotten – cradling his son, once, back when he’d smile up at him and reach for his glasses. He can’t remember any other time when Tate smiled at him, and he knows it’s not only due to the side effects of the memory eraser.

He didn’t give him many reasons to look up at him and smile through most of his life, did he now?

Old Man– No, Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, that is his name,  _all_ of it, and he’s left it behind long enough – holds the cylinder up before his eyes once again. He doesn’t need any machine to play it again: each frame is etched in his mind with a clarity he’s lacked in a long, long time.

 _My name is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, and I wish to unsee what I have seen_.

But what had he seen? What could have made him so desperate to forget that he’d sacrifice his sanity? What had he been working on, and with whom? What had they done?

What had  _he_  done?

There is something tugging at the corner of his mind, something he can’t remember yet, but that’s there for him to uncover. And he will uncover it – he doesn’t know why, but he feels that he must. It’s very important that he does.

He’s not entirely sure he  _wants_  to. He’d be lying to himself if he claimed he’s not scared. He is. He’s approaching the edge of an abyss he can feel but not see, and dreads the moment he’ll come close enough to look into it.

Given that he’ll see it on time to stop on its edge.

Something is coming, a part of his mind that has just now been stirred into awareness knows. Something big. Something dangerous. Something he has seen and chose to blind himself to, and look where it got him. Closing his eyes is not a luxury he can afford now. There is no time.

Something is coming, his son is here, and  _there is no time_. If only he could make Tate listen, take him seriously enough to get out of Gravity Falls when… when… Gravity Falls…!

_When Gravity Falls…_

McGucket shudders, the cylinder falling from his hands, and reaches up to clutch at his head. Something deep within his skull is aching, a dull throb that keeps growing stronger. Something is there, just barely out of his reach, but if he tries hard enough then maybe… maybe…

_No. No. Don’t. I don’t want to see. I’m scared. Please._

_I must._

When Gravity Falls, and Earth becomes Sky…

_I don’t want to remember._

_Tate is here. Something is coming. It must not happen._

… And Earth becomes Sky…!

_Please, no!_

“There is no time!” McGucket grits out at the empty room, and presses on. There was something about eyes, he’s certain – is that why he chose a blind eye for the Society? He can’t remember, but it must mean  _something_  – and he can remember something, now – a pull, a blinding light, mindless terror… and something pulling _back_ , someone calling out.

_I’ve got you, buddy!_

The impact with something hard, that same voice calling out once more, a touch on his shoulder.

_What did you see?_

_I wish to unsee what I have seen._

_NO TIME!_

The dull throb in his head turns into sharp pain, and McGucket falls back with a gasp, his eyes wide and fixed on the ceiling above him. When he speaks again his voice is shaking, and he doesn’t truly understand the meaning of what he’s saying – but it must mean something, and he knows it must be important. Vital, even.

_When Gravity Falls and Earth becomes sky, fear the beast with just one eye._

Somewhere, a countdown starts.


End file.
